The present invention relates to drumheads and in particular to the membrane and associated play surface of the drumhead.
Conventionally, drumheads are manufactured by processing a plastic film or membrane for desirable acoustic properties when the membrane is tensioned on the bearing edge of a drum shell. Sheets of processed film are cut and shaped with a collar region which is secured into a circular hoop that is engaged by tensioning components on the drum shell. A circular area within the hoop defines a play surface on which the percussionist can produce various sounds with, for example, sticks or brushes.
It is common to coat a plastic film such as Mylar with ink, using a mesh screen, to achieve coloration as well as subtle variations in the acoustic response of the drumhead. Typically, the ink is dried by evaporation in an oven or under a heating lamp. The drying time generally ranges from about 3 hours to 10 minutes. When a large area of coated film or many drumheads in progress are to be dried in one relatively small oven or arrangement of lamps, the drying step becomes a bottleneck in the overall drumhead manufacturing process.